'Tis the season for politician pay raises

Seems like raises for elected officials during tough economic times is a tradition here in California.

LA's elected officials just got huge raises even as they are looking to cut services and raise taxes. UC and CSU executives got pay raises and big perks even as seek to raise fees for students. And now it seems all the Sacto pols will get a pay raises too, even though they are facing a $10-billion budget deficit. A story in today's Sacramento Bee nails legislators for taking pay raises amid a budget crunch. Some serious cognitive dissonance going on among the political set, no?

California's legislative salaries, already the nation's highest, will rise to $116,208 today for all but a handful of lawmakers who have declined the hike while the state fights a massive budget shortfall.

Thirteen legislators – four Senate and nine Assembly members – have asked the state controller to kill their $3,110-a-year raise.

The other 106 lawmakers and 11 of 12 constitutional officers are taking the money, although they officially have until Dec. 17 to turn it down.

But will they? Would you?